Islam critic Michael Stürzenberger was attacked with a knife in Mannheim. A total of six people were injured by the attacker. The mood on the market square fluctuates between interest and sympathy. FOCUS online is on site.
Friday evening in Mannheim. People are walking through the city center with shopping bags, having animated conversations. The cafes and restaurants are well attended. But just a few meters away, blood was shed on the market square just hours earlier. Islam critic Michael Stürzenberger (59) was stabbed by an attacker with a knife. A police officer was also seriously injured; the blade hit him in the back and head. The perpetrator could only be stopped by using firearms.
Emergency services arrived quickly and cordoned off the otherwise busy market square in Mannheim’s city center with fences and barrier tape. “They set it up really quickly,” a man on site told FOCUS online. You can’t see much behind the white partitions. You can only make out officers in outline. The many people on the market square don’t notice what they’re doing.
There is a lot of interest and a lot of public traffic. The market square is not only centrally located in the city, but also next to a tram station. Even hours after the attack, there are still lots of people milling around the tracks, not waiting for the next tram, but interested in what is happening in the square.
FOCUS online was also there and observed how strangers started talking about the bloody crime and exchanging views. The consensus: sympathy for the injured officer and the civilian victims. But opinions differ when it comes to the perpetrator and Stürzenberger. “I hope he dies,” said a young man in a small discussion group about the Islam critic. Why? Because of his hatred of Islam.
In the afternoon, conversations keep breaking out around the market square. The mood there is generally peaceful, but some of the discussions are heated. As FOCUS online has learned, the officers did not have to intervene or issue any orders to leave the area. Nevertheless, many Mannheim residents are shocked that such a crime has occurred in broad daylight in their city. Many phone calls also revolve around this topic. “Google ‘Mannheim’,” a young person says to someone on the phone. But there are also voices criticizing Stürzenberger, who has been railing against Islam for years. There is also sporadic rage against Olaf Scholz and the government. “Where is Scholz?” a young man calls out in the direction of the market square.
The Chancellor is not there, but Baden-Württemberg’s Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (64) is arriving. His limousine arrives at around 5 p.m. He immediately goes to the operations command tent and apparently asks to be informed about the current status of the investigation. The Interior Minister then appears before the press and appears shocked by the attack. “Our thoughts are with everyone who was injured in the knife attack, and my thoughts as Interior Minister are of course also with the injured police colleague,” he says in a five-minute press statement on the market square. He believes the use of a firearm was the right thing to do, as it was the only way to overpower the still anonymous perpetrator. “This is an enormous achievement, and the officers deserve our deepest thanks and recognition,” said the CDU politician in Mannheim.
The condition of the injured people is still unknown this evening. Police spokesman Karl Appel told FOCUS online: “The medical treatment is still ongoing. I have no information from the hospitals. We are all very excited and hope for news.”
The citizens are also hoping for news. People keep approaching the police officers on the market square and asking if there is any news about their injured colleague. The people of Mannheim are obviously very sympathetic. But the police officers have to remain silent.
A young man wants to lay flowers, but cannot get past the barrier. He will have to wait until the police clear the area again. This is due to happen on Friday evening. But the officers are still busy securing the evidence. Press spokesman Appel told FOCUS online: “The forensic science department will carefully record the objective findings. This is very delicate work that takes time.”
The investigation is in full swing. However, the police do not want to comment on the perpetrator or his motive yet. “I cannot say anything about the perpetrator, the person himself, his motivation and the background at this point. These are the subject of the investigation,” Appel continued. “The investigation is in full swing, but it is still in its early stages.”
According to “Spiegel”, the attacker is said to be Sulaiman A., a 25-year-old who was born in Afghanistan and lives in Hesse, about 40 kilometers from Mannheim.